I don’t think the party in power has anything to do with a casino in the CC…by the way, the only thing that will ever make that building run at break-even or better. The issue is, and has always been, local taxation.
The beauty of the CC to those who benefit from it, primarily Dale High, and the politicians that they (he) own, is that they get rich off of taxpayer money NOT paid by the constituents of said bought and paid for politicians.
Local residents were told they were getting this for free…out of town (visitor) taxpayer dollars and state money and, as a result, most people were willing to stick their heads int he sand.
The problem is that the well is already running dry and we havent been open for more than 3 years. Give it another 3 and the hotel tax will max out and the county will be forced to pay. When that day comes, and the County is either raising taxes or raiding other programs to keep the lights on in the Charlie/Gib/Paul/Mike dedicating palace to Dale, the people of Lancaster County will welcome the slots as that is the one, and the only one, way out of the biggest mistake ever made in Lancaster County.
I would guess that the letter writer believes that the County Commissioners will be forced to increase the “hotel tax” to the maximum rate permitted by state law within the next three years, in order to cover operational losses and debt payments on the downtown Lancaster convention center.
They could very well be correct. On top of – and because of – increasing operational losses, the LCCCA has been forced to pay much higher interest rates and other lending costs than was ever anticipated before the construction bonds were sold in March of 2007.